Glory grief and taxes

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to consider the encounter we may have with God in moments of experiencing glory, grief and the taxing situations of life.

Sign of more

The beginning of the role of Ezekiel as a Prophet is marked by an experience of the Glory of God in a natural event.

* [1:5] Four living creatures: identified as cherubim in 10:1–2, 20. Known from Assyrian religion as minor guardian deities of palaces and temples, the cherubim were usually portrayed in gigantic sculpture with the bodies of bulls or lions, wings like an eagle and a human head. In the Jerusalem Temple, the Lord was enthroned above in the holy of holies (Is 6:1–2).

The passage from the Gospel of Matthew presents a juxtaposition of death and taxes as the disciples of Jesus hear of His upcoming Passion and deal with the Temple tax.

* [17:27] That we may not offend them: though they are exempt (Mt 17:26), Jesus and his disciples are to avoid giving offense; therefore the tax is to be paid. A coin worth twice the temple tax: literally, “a stater,” a Greek coin worth two double drachmas. Two double drachmas were equal to the Jewish shekel and the tax was a half-shekel. For me and for you: not only Jesus but Peter pays the tax, and this example serves as a standard for the conduct of all the disciples.

Vivian Amu contemplates that even when there is no understanding of the situation and when we are afraid, God makes a way and God provides for us. This is an expression of Providence in our journey.

In a vision; in a dream; in a conversation; at the center of devastating news; or in the heavens; on the earth and in the sea, the limitless mobility of the glory and mercy of God can be seen and experienced in our daily lives.  So, here it is: the body of Christ is human, and the Glory of God radiates from the body; we are members of the body of Christ. We are children of God, and God will guide us on the path of freedom and love, even when it seems impossible, because we are manifestations of God’s Glory, and therefore, we should live accordingly

Don Schwager offers a meditation on who likes to pay taxes, and how offense is an obstacle to the growth of others. This solidarity with those who are offended is in contrast to popular opinion about the right to speak regardless of the offense it may create.

Who likes to pay taxes, especially when you think they might be unreasonable or unjust? Jesus and his disciples were confronted by tax collectors on the issue of tax evasion. When questioned about paying the temple tax, Jesus replied to his disciples: We must pay so as not to cause bad example. In fact, we must go beyond our duty in order that we may show others what they ought to do. The scriptural expression to give no offense doesn't refer to insult or annoyance - rather it means to put no stumbling block in the way of another that would cause them to trip or fall. Jesus would not allow himself anything which might possibly be a bad example to someone else.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 17:22-27 presents the truth that Jesus loves to share his thoughts. He is always speaking to us. One means of this communication is in reflection on the Scripture of the day.

More often than not, God speaks in more commonplace ways. He may make a line from Scripture strike a chord in your heart. A homily at Mass may seem to have been written exactly to help you. Or a conversation gives you direction, encouragement, or wisdom when you need it most and expect it least.

Friar Jude Winkler explains the connection of Ezekiel to the exile of the people of Jerusalem to Babylon in 597 BCE and 587 BCE. A theophany may be experienced in the natural things around us. Jesus as an observant Jew, resonates in the approach of St Francis, in the thirteenth century, to seek common faith in interreligious dialogue.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, reflects on how the Perennial Tradition emphasis on the oneness of God with everything is presented in sacred texts from both Hinduism and Christianity.

My true being is unborn and changeless. I am the Lord who dwells in every creature. Through the power of my own appearance, I manifest myself in finite forms. —Bhagavad Gita 4:5-6
In the beginning was only Being; One without a second. Out of himself he brought forth the cosmos and entered into everything in it. There is nothing that does not come from him. Of everything he is the inmost Self. —Chandogya Upanishad, Chapter 6, 2:2-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through him all things came to be, and not one thing had its being but through him. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwells among us. —John 1:1, 3, 14

This reflection connects to the solidarity, common faith, and minority of Francis of Assisi as expressed by Dan Horan, OFM, who suggests three factors that operate concurrently throughout Francis’s interreligious encounter with the sultan that form the foundation of what we might today call “Franciscan interreligious dialogue”.

These three factors are as follows:

1. The radical adhering to the evangelical value of solidarity
2. The preferential option for the discovery of common faith
3. The position of minority rooted in a commitment to lifelong conversion

(Horan, 2014, p181)

From his tradition of Judaism, rabbi Rami Shapiro offers a rather simple explanation of the profound texts.  “Just as the same lump of clay can take on infinite form and remain itself unchanged, so God takes on infinite form while never being other than God.” Our journey may involve glory, grief, and taxes and through these experiences we may encounter the Divine.

References


(n.d.). Ezekiel, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 13, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/1

(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 17 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 13, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/17:5 

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved August 13, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html 

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 13, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/ 

(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved August 13, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/ 

(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved August 13, 2018, from https://cac.org/richard-rohr/daily-meditations/daily-meditations-archive/ 

Horan,D. (2014) The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton. Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press